October 18, 2010
School of Medicine, Kochi
 

Dr. Anjana Nair, an MS Resident in the Department of ENT at the Amrita School of Medicine won the best poster presentation award at the recently concluded Kerala ENT Conference 2010.
 

The poster titled, Intratympanic Gentamicin in Meniere’s Disease: A Retrospective Review highlighted the role of the antibiotic, gentamicin, in the management of Meniere’s disease.
 

Meniere’s Disease is one of the most common causes of dizziness found in ENT patients.   Learn More »
 

“Meniere’s Disease is characterized by the classic triad of episodic vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss and tinnitus,” stated Dr. Anjana. “Intratympanic gentamicin is an alternative to surgery in the management of this disease.”
 

Intratympanic gentamycin can be easily administered to patients and is not very expensive.
 

Case records of 19 patients who undertook intratympanic gentamicin injections from 2004 to 2007 at Amrita were reviewed.
 

“These patients were given weekly gentamicin injections for a period of six to seven weeks.”
 

“Results showed that intratympanic gentamicin provides satisfactory control of vertigo; however its effects on hearing and tinnitus are less satisfactory.”
 

Dr. Anjana is currently undergoing her postgraduate training in ENT at Amrita.
 

FROM THE POSTER

Introduction
• Meniere’s disease is one of the most common causes of peripheral vertigo seen in the ENT OPD.
• It is characterised by the classic triad of episodic vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss and tinnitus.
• Some patients face considerable morbidity and handicap due to unremitting vertigo.
• Intratympanic Gentamicin is an alternative to surgery in the management of such intractable Meniere’s disease.

Conclusions
• Intratympanic Gentamicin gives demonstrable satisfactory control of vertigo in intractable Meniere’s disease.
• Effects on hearing and tinnitus in the vertigo-handicapped Meniere’s patient are negligible.
• Ease of procedure and patient compliance are obvious advantages of this modality.
• Comparative cost-benefit studies, vis-a-vis surgery, would suggest the use of ITGm in every indicated case.